Company: LINKTERA
Company background:
Linktera comprising a team of over 250 professionals who possess extensive expertise in consulting, project management, technology, and system integration. Our robust consulting approach together with our technical capabilities empowers us to deliver end-to-end digital transformation projects and technology solutions with utmost efficiency. We proudly serve amongst our competencies and skills spanning various domains, including technology integration, process architecture design, and system application.
Since our establishment in 2011, Linktera has been fostering a culture of innovation, flexibility, passion, and entrepreneurship. Our dedicated teams operate in many industries in Türkiye and MEA Region (through our offices in Istanbul and Dubai). Within our journey exceeding 10 years we have accomplished over 1000 successful projects and became a leader of transformation, analytics and automation in Financial Services Industry. Our dedication to excellence has earned us recognition, as we were ranked amongst the top 5 Finance Software and Consultancy / System Integrator Companies in Türkiye based on "Turkey's Top 500 IT Companies Research" in 2022.
To further drive regional growth and encourage internal innovation, we have established Linktera LABS, a dedicated entity that nurtures a start-up culture, promotes innovation, and productizes our own software developments. Linktera LABS plays a pivotal role in our overall innovation efforts, serving as a platform for advancing cutting-edge ideas. Furthermore, through Linktera Studio, we offer UX/UI design and development services, enabling us to provide comprehensive solutions that address our clients' diverse needs. Linktera is being a SAS Partner for over 10 years and dedicated itself to create with a wide spectrum of financial services and digital solutions, using SAS Technology. We offer variety of Risk, Analytics and Modelling solutions customized for our clientele, delivering services in analysis, system design and integration, software development, testing, and project management.
Not only SAS Platform, but we are also eager to expand SAS footprint via our own products such as Regulatory Reporting for Risk Management, RPA enhanced approach for analytics. Overall, Linktera's unwavering commitment to innovation, project excellence, and comprehensive services positions us strongly in the market, allowing us to cater to the evolving needs of our esteemed customers.
Contact: Güney Güzelkara
Title: Consultant
Country: Turkey
Award Category: Distinguished Partner
Why did your organization decide to work with a SAS partner? What was the business need?
Linktera made the strategic decision to work with a SAS partner due to several compelling reasons and a clear business need. As a prominent player in the banking and finance sector in Turkey, we recognized the increasing importance of leveraging advanced analytics to gain a competitive edge. We sought a partner who could provide comprehensive and cutting-edge analytic tools to address our business challenges effectively.
SAS, as a renowned global leader in analytics, offered a robust suite of products and solutions tailored specifically for our industry. The need to improve decision-making processes, optimize operations, and harness the power of data-driven insights drove us to seek a collaboration with SAS. Their established reputation for delivering innovative and reliable analytics tools made them the ideal partner to meet our business requirements.
Since 1976, SAS has been exclusively dedicated to analytics and is currently making significant investments in VIYA for open-source models. Our vision perfectly aligns with theirs.
Let's illustrate a business need with an example. Our decision to work with a SAS was driven by a critical business need coupled with the desire to make a direct impact on people's lives. The context for this need arose when Turkey experienced a devastating earthquake that revealed significant failures in disaster coordination and response.
In the aftermath of the earthquake, it became apparent that there were serious coordination problems, hindering the effectiveness of relief efforts and exacerbating the impact of the disaster. Recognizing the urgency to address these challenges, we leveraged SAS technology to develop a solution that could enhance disaster coordination and response.
By harnessing the power of SAS analytics, we created a project that went beyond meeting the business needs of financial institutions. It directly touched upon the lives of individuals affected by the earthquake. Our solution aimed to bridge the coordination gaps that were evident during the crisis, enabling a more efficient and effective response to future disasters.
This project not only fulfilled the business requirements of financial institutions but also highlighted the broader potential of SAS analytics to address critical societal challenges.
What were the expectations of the partner and how did the partner exceed them?
When we decided to work with a SAS partner, we had high expectations for their capabilities and expertise. However, our partnership with SAS has not only met those expectations but also exceeded them in several remarkable ways. One of the key aspects that sets SAS apart is their commitment to providing a comprehensive ecosystem rather than just product sales. SAS has offered us opportunities to expand our potential business network by not only providing cutting-edge analytics solutions but also by organizing various events and activities. This holistic approach has enabled us to tap into new markets and forge valuable connections within the industry.
An excellent example of this is our participation in the SASHackathon2023 event. This prestigious hackathon allowed us to showcase our skills and innovative use of SAS technologies in two different sectors. We competed in three separate categories and were thrilled to emerge as winners in all of them. This achievement not only highlighted our technical prowess but also demonstrated the immense value that our partnership with SAS brings to our organization.
In summary, our partnership with SAS has not only provided us with top-notch analytics solutions but also offered us a thriving ecosystem that has expanded our potential business opportunities. Winning multiple categories at SASHackathon2023 has not only showcased our capabilities but also solidified our reputation as leaders in leveraging SAS technologies. Moreover, the ecosystem created by SAS has facilitated valuable connections, knowledge exchange, and collaboration, further enhancing the benefits we derive from this partnership.
How did the partner's contributions lead to your organization's success? Please quantify if possible.
The contributions of our partnership with SAS have been instrumental in driving our organization's success, as evidenced by the following achievements: Since the inception of our partnership, we have successfully completed a significant number of projects. In 2020, we completed 31 projects, followed by 39 projects in 2021, and an impressive 54 projects in 2022. These projects spanned various industries and showcased our ability to deliver high-quality solutions leveraging SAS technologies.
Furthermore, SAS's role as an ecosystem creator has been crucial in our success. By participating SAS Hackathon, we gained access to a network of stakeholders, including government institutions and municipalities, who were actively involved in disaster management. These collaborations allowed us to showcase the capabilities of our solution, engage in meaningful discussions, and explore opportunities for implementation and scalability.
One of the key aspects that sets us apart within the partner network is our unique approach of combining SAS AI and Analytics with UiPath RPA to streamline the analytical process. This approach has enabled us to differentiate ourselves as a distinguished partner. For now, we have focused on two specific areas in projects: Energy Cost Optimization and Automated Advisor Service.
SAS, in collaboration with the Linktera team, holds the market leadership position in financial institutions within Turkey. Additionally, SAS is the market leader in credit risk and IFRS-9 compliance in the country, and we have plans to expand our influence to the wider region.
Through our SAS DigiBank approach, we are actively contributing to digital bank projects, leveraging our expertise and solutions. Furthermore, our Asset and Liability Management (ALM) team closely collaborates with the global team to enhance processes following the acquisition of KAMAKURA.
In summary, our partnership with SAS has resulted in an impressive track record of project completion, a remarkable revenue growth rate of 132% in 2022, and the expansion of our customer base to over 50 clients. The participation in the Hackathon and the attainment of 3 distinct awards pave the way for new opportunities. The integration of SAS analytics with UiPath RPA in projects demonstrates our commitment to delivering innovative and effective solutions to our clients. These achievements serve as concrete evidence of the substantial contributions our partnership with SAS has made to our organization's success.
